EU’s CO2 targets up the technology game

The very ambitious targets that have been set by the European Union for the automakers have lifted technology spending and introduction, as the manufacturers aim to reduce their fleet-wide emissions by 2021.

The 2021 goal has been the subject of heated debate within the automotive industry, with Germany even moving to fight it and postpone the target by a year, up from the original 2020 date. The European region is now set to keep its edge when it comes to fuel efficiency because of the drastic measures that would see the reduction of the current overall CO2 emissions by about one-third.

“We are starting to see mainstream auto manufacturers introduce multiple plug-in hybrid models ahead of the 2021 deadline,” said George Galliers, car analyst at ISI. “It’s difficult to assess the extent to which this might not have happened without the 2021 targets. But it’s clear that the EU regulation helped to drive it.”

In 2012, CO2 emissions were at around 132g/km. The new EU regulation would see them down to 95 grams per kilometer in 2021, with a consumption target of 3.6 l/100km for diesel engines and 4.1 l/100 km for gasoline-powered autos. According to Transport & Environment, a clean-air lobby group – there are some manufacturers like BMW or Fiat that might miss their 2021 deadline – while most others would reach it ahead of schedule, by 2020.